A personal hotspot lets you share your iPhone’s internet connection with other devices. This can be useful if you have a limited data plan.
To connect to your iPhone’s hotspot, find the Wi-Fi menu on your other device (either a Mac computer or another smartphone). Then click the name of your phone in the list.
1. Go to Settings
Your iPhone 8 has a feature that lets you turn it into a makeshift internet router. Once activated, it will broadcast a Wi-Fi connection that other devices can connect to using your cellular data plan. It’s important to note that this can use up your data plan rather quickly, so you should only activate it if you have enough to spare.
The first step in using this feature is to go to the Settings app and tap Personal Hotspot. If this option is grayed out or has a spinning wheel alongside it, contact your carrier to verify that tethering is available on your current plan. Once the feature is enabled, it will start automatically.
If you aren’t sure whether or not tethering is available on your current carrier’s plan, try connecting to the phone’s hotspot via Bluetooth instead. Generally, this will appear as an option in the same menu that allows you to connect to other networks (such as a regular Wi-Fi network or two interlocking rings). To begin, open the menu on the device you’re trying to connect to and look for your phone’s name next to either a Bluetooth icon or a Wi-Fi icon with a password.
Alternatively, you can also try changing the hotspot’s name. This can sometimes cause the device you’re trying to connect with to renew its connection. To do so, head to Settings & General & About and tap your iPhone’s name.
It’s also worth noting that the hotspot might not be as fast as a regular Wi-Fi network or even the mobile internet on your iPhone itself. As such, you shouldn’t expect to be able to download large files or stream videos over the connection.
Some people have reported that logging out of their iCloud account can fix issues with the Personal Hotspot feature. While this isn’t guaranteed to work, it’s worth a shot if nothing else seems to be fixing the problem. However, this solution will delete all of your data from the device, so it should be used as a last resort. If you’d rather not risk losing your information, simply reset the device with a factory reset.
2. Tap Cellular
You can connect other devices to the internet using your iPhone 8 as a Wi-Fi hotspot. To turn on this feature, you’ll need to have a data plan that allows tethering. You’ll also need to make sure that Bluetooth and cellular data are enabled on the phone. You can enable these by opening the Settings app and tapping the gear-shaped icon. Then, tap Cellular, which is usually a green icon near the top of the Settings page. If you see a slider next to Cellular Data that isn’t green, turn it on. If you’re on a prepaid plan, the phone may have this setting turned off until several prepaid data payments have been made.
Once you’ve turned on cellular data, tap Personal Hotspot to enable the feature. You’ll need to enter a password to protect the connection. This password will be needed by other devices that you want to connect to the hotspot. The people that you’re connecting to the hotspot will need to open Wi-Fi on their devices and select your iPhone’s network name, which should be listed as “Personal Hotspot.” They’ll then need to enter the password you set for the connection in order to connect.
Your iPhone will probably be slower than a regular Wi-Fi router or your computer, but it should be usable. You’ll also need to keep in mind that the tethering service isn’t free. You’ll be charged for the data that is used to connect other devices to your hotspot.
If you’re having trouble getting the feature to work, it’s possible that something is wrong with your device. It’s always worth a trip to an Apple Store or another authorized service provider to get it checked out.
You can also reset your iPhone to factory settings if the Personal Hotspot still isn’t working. This can help with a variety of issues, but you should always backup your iPhone to iTunes or iCloud before trying this method. The process is a bit more involved than simply resetting the phone through the Settings app, but it’s a good idea if all else fails.
3. Tap Personal Hotspot
The iPhone’s Personal Hotspot feature turns the phone into a makeshift internet router, sharing its cellular data with other devices that link up to it. It’s a great way to get online on the go, and can be a lifesaver if you don’t have access to Wi-Fi. It does use up your cellular data though, so be careful if you have a limited plan.
To enable the iPhone’s Personal Hotspot, open the Settings app and tap Cellular. Then, turn the toggle switch next to Cellular Data to the On position.
You’ll need to have a cellular-model iPhone running iOS 8 or later, or a cellular-model iPad with iOS 8 or later and a data plan that supports tethering. To use the Personal Hotspot, other devices need to have a wireless network adapter (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) and be able to connect to the iPhone’s Wi-Fi signal. The iPhone will display the name of the tethered device in the upper left corner where the Wi-Fi icon is normally located.
Once the iPhone’s Personal Hotspot is active, a password will be displayed on-screen. This is the Wi-Fi password that other devices will need to enter in order to connect to your phone’s hotspot. You can change the password if you wish, but it’s recommended that you keep the default one for security reasons.
If you are having trouble connecting to your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot, try refreshing your cellular data connection. This can be done by tapping the Cellular menu and turning off cellular data, then turning it back on after 10-20 seconds. If that doesn’t fix the issue, you may need to contact your carrier to resolve it.
If you have a Mac computer, it can connect to the iPhone’s Personal Hotspot via Bluetooth or USB. In the Wi-Fi settings of your computer, select the name of the iPhone from the list and enter the Personal Hotspot password that you wrote down on the phone earlier. The connection should take a bit to establish itself, but it will eventually happen. Then you can browse the web, check email, and watch YouTube cat videos to your heart’s content.
4. Enter a Password
You can connect a device to your Personal Hotspot using Bluetooth, a USB cable, or Wi-Fi. The easiest method is to use Bluetooth: simply open the Bluetooth settings on your computer, tablet, or other device, and look for the name of your iPhone next to a pair of interlocking rings or a regular WiFi network icon. Click that, enter the password, and wait a few moments for your device to connect. You can also connect via a USB cable: plug your iPhone into your computer, and then select it from the list of available networks in your browser or other app. Once again, you’ll need to enter the password in order to connect.
If you’re having problems connecting to your Personal Hotspot, try restarting the device you’re trying to connect to and then re-entering the password. If that doesn’t work, try resetting your iPhone (Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings). This will restore all of your settings to their defaults, but it won’t erase any data.
Another thing to try is logging out of your iCloud account and then re-logging in. Some people have reported that this can fix a network problem and make their iPhone’s Personal Hotspot work again.
If none of these things works, you may have a problem with your carrier’s network. You can check with your provider to see if your cellular data plan allows tethering, and if it does, ask them what the process is for getting it enabled.
If you still can’t get your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot to work, you may need to reload your cellular data or buy a more expensive plan that includes internet. You can also try resetting your network settings by going to Settings > General & Reset & Reset All Networks. This will reset all of your iPhone’s network settings, but it won’t erase any data. You can do this on any model of the iPhone, including the newer iPhone 12. You can also try resetting the network settings on your other devices, if they support it.
